WASHINGTON D.C.—The outlook for the restaurant industry remained solid in February, as the National Restaurant Association's comprehensive index of restaurant activity was unchanged from its January level. The Association's Restaurant Performance Index—a monthly composite index that tracks the health of and outlook for the U.S. restaurant industry—stood at 102.3 in February, its 32nd consecutive month above 100.
The Restaurant Performance Index is based on the responses to the National Restaurant Association's Restaurant Industry Tracking Survey, which is fielded monthly among restaurant operators nationwide on a variety of indicators including sales, traffic, labor and capital expenditures. The Index consists of two components: the Current Situation Index and the Expectations Index. Here are the index's significant findings:
- 58 percent of restaurant operators reported a same-store sales gain between February 2005 and February 2006;
- 49 percent of restaurant operators reported an increase in customer traffic between February 2005 and February 2006; and
- 48 percent of restaurant operators expect their sales volume in six months to be higher than it was during the same period in the previous year.
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